A denture is a prosthetic device constructed to replace some or all of the missing natural teeth in a patient's mouth. There are two types of dentures: a partial denture and a complete denture. The partial denture replaces a few missing teeth, while the complete denture substitutes the entire maxillary and/or mandibular arch. Dentures can be secured to dental implants or non-vital tooth roots in the mouth of a patient using either a removable or fixed attachment system. In general, a removable denture is designed and fabricated to be attached to dental implants and removed by the patient, whereas a fixed denture is attached to dental implants using cement or screws and can only be removed by a dental care provider.
Both the removable and fixed implant supported dentures have their advantages and disadvantages. Common advantages for both the removable and fixed dentures include: proper chewing, protection of the gums, and improvement in speech and aesthetics. Removable dentures are less costly and allow for easier cleaning to promote oral hygiene on a daily basis and fewer long-term treatment complications. However, they lack the feel of natural teeth and require more maintenance, e.g., replacement and/or adjustment of attachments and attachment components. In contrast, fixed dentures feel more like natural teeth with less food entrapment and less maintenance. Fixed dentures also distribute occlusal loading onto the implant and onto the jaw bone, which can be beneficial to maintenance of the bone ridge height and thickness, bone quality, and oral and facial aesthetics. Nevertheless, fixed dentures are more expensive and more difficult in terms of long-term treatment complications.
Conventional fixed dental implant attachments systems generally have higher treatment costs and involve more complicated procedures. The cost of components and laboratory fees contribute, in part, to high treatment costs that restrict access of such conventional fixed attachment systems. At the same time, complicated techniques, such as accommodating implant angulations, verification try-ins, and difficulty with administering cement and/or screws, increase complexity that requires highly skilled dental care providers, which further adds to the high cost of treatment. Likewise, maintenance of conventional fixed attachment system require time consuming procedure and high cost as the system and/or system components must be removed and replaced at recall appointments.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a simple, low cost, screwless, cementless, fixed dental implant attachment system that is detachable by the dental care provider, but at the same time provides the benefits of a fixed dental attachment system. Disclosed herein is a unique, simple, lower cost, fixed but clinically detachable device for those patients who want the advantages of a “fixed” implant supported denture but cannot afford the current higher end options, and an entry point allowing less experienced dentists to perform fixed restorations due to an easier restorative procedure. Further described herein is a dental implant attachment device that can provide for immediate load (function), through components that can be easily used with the provisional denture and then incorporated into the final restoration.